Concrete, more concrete...and Chris Mahoney!
Alright boys. Sweet weekend of BMX just passed here. Got all cultural and shit and went to the theatre on Friday. Don't worry, I've not turned gay - it was to watch a show about BMX. 'Skid 180'. Gay name but quite good. Someone described it as "BMX on acid". Had a storyline, a 6ft mini on set and none other than Chris Mahoney and Northern John providing the live riding and acting.

Anyway, got talking to them after the show and ended up going riding with Chris and some other dudes at some new spots round Melbourne (Northern John was to hungover to ride after a heavy sesh!!).

First up was Box Hill skatepark. 20 mins on the train gets you a newly constructed concrete park with 8-bowl, spine-mini linking bowls, flatbank hip and street course jazz:



Good park, some local shredders and Mahoney riding as you'd expect - super consistent, high airs and clicked tricks. Sound geezer also, no ego or anything like that. Just buzzing off riding a new park. Spine deceived me a bit, as it's 4ft one side and 6ft the other. You guessed it, jumped to flat on my 1st go...represent!

Next up KFC for some grub before driving to Frankston park. Got a lift off an Aussie dude called Lindsay with furry seat covers in his car. Super nice guy and well travelled including some roadtrips in England. Didn't think much of it, then it turns out he's Lindsay Brown of Ride/Urban Games fame. Day was turning out like the Heat Magazine of BMX!

Frankston is a new park, concrete as usual. Check the sky in the pictures chaps: this is winter! Could've ridden in a t-shirt were it not for the concern for losing skin. Park is ramm-o-ed save for the bowl. I go check it out and then I see why helmets are compulsory in this country... The thing is an absolute monster! Deepest bowl I've ever seen (bigger than Rom) and it honestly looks like they've built it by dropping an atom bomb in the ground!! Even the small end is over vert so it's foot-in all the way. Still getting used to the DK so I was pretty chuffed to just blag an air.

Mahoney put the P-R-O into pro rider. Whilst most people got used to the bowl by just carving about Mahoney takes it to the next level with a table air round about the 3/4ft mark on his 2nd air. Bit of a break, drops in...f-king flair!! WHITTTTTTTTT!! Slipped a little on landing, but pulled clean next try. Oh my christ. Later put a run together of table, whip, flair. Pulled another 3 times for the camera. Nutter.

http://media.putfile.com/Mahoney---bowl-whip-then-flair

Next up the bowl claimed it's first victim. Scottish guy by the name of John doing a 270 nosepick drop-in to the small end. Smooth as but slipped on landing and re-fked an old knee injury. Took 3 people to lift him out of the bowl. Bowl is certainly not for the faint hearted.

Still, this didn't stop locals pegging the deep side, John icepicking it before the stack and Lindsay tyretappin', foofin' and 3-tapping the small side.

Good days riding and later went to some rock club where apparently Luke Fink was in attendance albeit on crutches. Broken leg after a flip gone wrong. The place was a bit of a blur for me having nailed the drinks with some local riders. They have trails that I can ride soon, so I'm happy.

Finally I'm getting pissed off getting used to the DK and some guy offered me a tenner less than I paid for it, so depending on whether this goes through and the cost to ship/fly my bike out; I may be reunited with the beast. Can't wait!

Hope you're all enjoying the English summer.